A map showing the snowfall totals across Newfoundland expected by tomorrow morning. The St. John's region could see 20 centimetres or more by 7 a.m. - Screengrab

Snowfall to begin late afternoon, early evening

For residents of the Avalon, chances the drive home from work this afternoon will be a far cry from the morning commute.

The entirety of the peninsula is under a winter storm warning today as a system barrels towards the eastern portion of the island ready to delivery the first significant snowfall of the season.

SaltWire Network Meteorologist Cindy Day says snow should start late this afternoon with the heaviest snows coming overnight to early Friday morning.

Day says the Avalon region can expect 20 centimetres or more before snow tapers off tomorrow morning.

Winds will shift to the northeast this afternoon and gust to 90 km/h before coming around to the west early Friday morning.

“I would imagine whiteout conditions through much of the day Friday even though the snow has been wrapping up,” Day told The Telegram earlier this week.

The Bonavista peninsula and Clarenville vicinity, meanwhile, are under a winter storm watch and Day says they’ll receive between 10 and 15 cm of precipitation. Winds will gust to 70 klicks from the northeast, shift to the northwest overnight and to westerly in the morning.

Ahead of the system, Air Canada has issued a travel alert to passengers schedule to fly in or out of the international airports in St. John’s and Gander. The airline has also revised its ticketing policy to waive the flight change fee for customers, space permitting.